Kernels Outscore Lugnuts 9-8, Win Series in Lansing

Lansing, MI - Cedar Rapids opened a 7-1 third-inning lead Sunday afternoon and hung on to win the series finale in Lansing 9-8.

After a ten-run outburst in the win on Saturday night, the Kernels' offense got going right away on Sunday. In the top of the first inning, Jay Harray walked to begin the game, and after a Ricardo Olivar single, a fly out moved him to third, and an Agustin Ruiz sac fly drove him home to lift the Kernels on top 1-0.

In the second, Lansing tied it up. A Brayan Buelvas walk began the inning, and after a pair of groundouts moved him to third, he scored on a Cameron Masterman RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the third, the Cedar Rapids offense blew it open. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with no one out for Rayne Doncon who put the Kernels back ahead with a two-run double. The next batter, Kevin Maitan, then lifted the advantage to 4-1 with a sac fly, and Misael Urbina increased the lead to four with an RBI base hit. With Urbina on and still one out, Nate Baez ripped a two-run home to put Cedar Rapids ahead 7-1.

Lansing got two runs back in the fourth on a solo home by Euribiel Angeles and an RBI double by Masterman, reducing the deficit to 7-3.

Solo home runs by Baez, his second of the day and third of the series in the sixth inning, and Rubel Cespedes in the seventh, upped the Kernels lead back to six at 9-3 after seven innings.

In the eighth, Lansing started to rally back. With one out, Buelvas walked in front of Luke Mann, who cut the deficit to 9-5 with a two-run home run.

In the bottom of the ninth, a Colby Halter double, a Johnny Butler RBI single and a Henry Bolte two-run home run made it 9-8 with no one out. But Ricardo Velez locked things down recording the final three outs of the game as the Kernels hung on for the 9-8 win.

Ty Langenberg picked up the win in his Cedar Rapids debut as the Kernels win the series in Lansing and improve to 36-26 on the season. Cedar Rapids returns home for a 12-game homestand starting Tuesday against Peoria at 6:35, both starters are TBD.